PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Six of seven candidates running for six available seats on the city's School Committee made their case for election during a debate on Monday night.
Daniel Elias, an eight-term incumbent and current vice chairman, and Katherine Yon, current secretary, along with newcomers Joshua Cutler, Pamela Farron, Anthony Riello and Cindy Taylor, outlined their perspectives on a few of the district's challenges and the past and future performance of its governing committee during the sole debate for this race.
An atmosphere of cordiality, full of compliments and points of enthusiastic agreements,

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There will not be a citywide preliminary election.

As of the deadline, there were only enough candidates to warrant a preliminary election in Wards 1 and 3. There are races in most of the other wards but there needs to be more than double the number of available seats to require a preliminary election to narrow the field.

In Ward 1, Tammy Ives and Lisa Tully are challenging incumbent Christine Yon for the City Council seat. In Ward 3, five people are vying for the seat vacated by Paul Capitanio, who is not seeking re-election. Nicholas Caccamo, Jeffery Germann, Richard Latura, Jennifer McGurn and Thomas Wells Jr. are all seeking that seat.

: The city could see a lively mayoral preliminary election if the four potential candidates all return papers.

Ronald Boucher, former City Council president who unsuccessfully challenged Richard Alcombright's re-election two years ago, took out nomination papers on Friday. He joins potential candidates Richard David Greene and Robert R. Moulton Jr., a fellow former councilor who backed Alcombright at his first election and Boucher two years ago.

So far the only candidate to return the required nomination papers is Alcombright, who will be running for a third two-year term. Three candidates would have to return papers for a preliminary election on Sept. 24.

The cities of Pittsfield and North Adams will hold municipal elections for mayor, city council and school committee in 2015

You may vote absentee: if you will be absent from your town or city on election day, have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polls or cannot vote at the polls because to religious beliefs.